A Sweet Life: Noosa’s Queen of Cakes
Noosa’s Queen of Cakes always knew she would be a pastry chef. Matt Golinski discovers how Fiona’s connection to family flavours every delicious morsel.
Fiona Williams was one of those kids born with a whisk in one hand and a rolling pin in the other.
Growing up in country New South Wales, all the treats her and her brother ate were the ones freshly baked by her mum from scratch, and by the time she was old enough to help, she knew that being a pastry chef was her calling in life.
Starting with a pastry apprenticeship at Jordons Restaurant in Darling Harbour, Fiona honed her skills working for some of the best names in the Sydney food scene, including Luke Mangan’s Glass Brasserie at the Hilton, Bourke St Bakery, and the Lindt Café production kitchen.
In 2008, she decided to head north and find somewhere to put all that experience and knowledge into a business of her own, and Fiona’s Fancies was born in the famous market town of Eumundi.
After four years of building a formidable reputation as the region’s Queen of Cakes, a chronic back injury forced her to close the doors, but hard work and a strong will to get back to doing what she loves helped her recover quickly, and after a twelve month break, she was back to filling the cabinets with her luscious cakes and sweet and savoury pastries, but this time in her beautifully designed patisserie in Sunshine Beach Rd, Noosa Junction.
All her loyal customers have a favourite indulgence they come back for time and time again. For some it’s the homemade pies and sausage rolls, for others it’s the white chocolate caramel friands or her signature chocolate and raspberry mousse cake.
A cult lunchtime favourite is the chicken baguette: roasted chicken breast on crusty French bread with homemade aioli, cucumber, spring onions and parsley.
Whole, beautifully decorated layer cakes can be bought straight off the shelf, or personalised to order to suit for any occasion. Birthday and wedding cakes are a Fiona’s specialty.
Everything on offer in the shop, including sweet and savoury catering packs, can be ordered online or over the phone and delivered straight to your door (most probably by Fiona’s dad, Bob!)
Fiona’s 16 years developing her craft have included working with some great mentors, and she now considers it her responsibility to pass on those skills to the next generation, taking on apprentices herself and making sure they are taught to do things properly.
In a world where most things (especially food) is mass produced and corners are often cut, keeping a true artisan techniques alive is a gift to the future of the industry.
So if you ‘fancy’ yourself a lover of all things whipped, baked, iced and piped, pop in and see Fiona and the team in The Junction and treat yourself or someone you love to a piece of pure Noosa decadence.
Fiona’s Fancies | www.fionasfancies.com.au
